|
 |
|
English News SATs for English grammar, punctuation and spelling
English English is varied and enjoyable at Bredon Hill Middle School. Students learn in a wide variety of ways; all students across all Key Stages are encouraged to engage with all aspects of English from classic literature to modern media. We focus on three key areas in English, aiming to advance students' progress in reading, writing and speaking and listening. Students are also encouraged to develop independent study and thinking skills; reading widely is recommended. We also facilitate enrichment activities such as reading, drama, handwriting and creative writing groups and run ‘booster sessions’ to ensure every student has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The English Department work to the objectives outlined in both the KS2 Renewed Framework and KS3 revised Secondary Curriculum. We focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening.
KS2 In Year 6 pupils have 9 x 1 hour lessons a fortnight. In the English lesson pupils study a novel or play; complete extended writing tasks; develop their reading and writing skills and work towards the KS2 SATs in May. KS3 Pupils in Year 7 and 8 have 6 x 1 hour
lessons every fortnight. Useful English Websites for Indepentent Study www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize Downloads Thanks to the Lancashire Grid for Learning for some of the downloads.
Ongoing Activities Throughout the school year pupils take part in a variety of events to celebrate the work we cover in English. These include performance poetry, theatre visits, a book fair, drama club, reading and creative writing groups. Year 7 - Booked Up! Year 7 pupils are offered the chance of a free book from www.bookedup.org.uk. All pupils will be given a Booked Up magazine which contains help and advice for pupils on how to select their free book, including a brief summary of each of the books and reviews from other 11 year olds. Pupils can access the website www.bookedup.org.uk where there is a dedicated space full of ideas for them to explore: a downloadable version of the DVD to watch; tips to help them select their book; interactive games featuring the Booked Up characters; a review section and monthly competitions to win more free books. KS3 Year 7 & 8 - The Million Word Reading Challenge All pupils in KS3 are challenged to read a million words by the end of the year. They may read books which are fiction and non-fiction e.g. biographies of sports men and women. Each pupil at KS3 is expected to read at least two books per half term and a book response either written or spoken should be completed each half term. Please would parents support and encourage their children with their independent reading as reading is one of the major tools for learning in all subjects. Many thanks. English News Once again, Spoz (aka Giovanni Esposito - a professional poet) spent the day working with Year 8 pupils. Pupils worked in ‘literary groups’ such as The Pencils, The ABCs, and the Sentence Stars to name but a few. Throughout the day Spoz encouraged the ‘creative juices’ to flow with word games such as “Rhyming Wars”, “Word Bursts”, “I’ve Got Words …..” and “Word Buddies” which enabled the pupils to realise that poetry actually forms a significant part of their popular culture. The range of activities gave pupils the confidence to create and perform entertaining pieces of work culminating in an exciting ‘slam’ poetry session in the afternoon. Spoz’s workshops support the national curriculum for English and literacy with regard to English speaking, listening, reading and writing. The winning team, “The Full Stoppers”, will go forward to the Midlands’ Youth Poetry Slam project to be held at the Artrix Theatre in Bromsgrove on Tuesday 23rd March at 7.00pm. A group of year 8 pupils are spending their lunch times learning about the legal system and preparing a case to be tried in the Worcestershire ‘Mock Trial Competition’. They will be competing against other middle and high schools in the area later this term.Once again a number of year 6 pupils are being invited to come along and work on improving their handwriting in a relaxed environment. Sessions take place during a Tuesday morning break and pupils are encouraged to bring along a snack and drink to keep them going. During the sessions, pupils practise letter shapes and patterns; try out a variety of pens and sometimes work on building the muscles in the forearms to help them write for longer periods of time. |
||
